Attitudes towards dignity of risk in older people: A survey following a short narrative film

Abstract

Objective To evaluate aged care staff's ‘willingness to help an older person with risk‐taking activities’ that improve quality of life (‘dignity of risk’). Methods Opportunity‐based cross‐sectional anonymous electronic survey in four Australian jurisdictions, conducted immediately after screening a short animated narrative film describing ‘dignity of risk’. Survey comprised nine questions including respondent demographics, professional role, risk‐taking and outcome. Results From 24 separate screenings, there were 929 respondents. Agreement to ‘help an older person with risk‐taking activities’ was associated with respondent prediction of the least severe harm occurring (OR = 2.22 [1.20, 4.12], P = .001). Conversely, respondents in non‐executive, non‐managerial roles—that is, nurses and care workers—were unlikely to agree to help with risk‐taking activities (OR 0.36‐0.49, P ≤ .03). There was not an association with respondent's age grouping (P = .6). Conclusion Staff self‐reported attitudes towards dignity of risk are important to understand to enhance in an older person's quality of life.